World Athletics has formally rejected a recommendation by the International Olympic Committee to lift sanctions on Belarusian athletes and teams competing under national symbols, maintaining strict bans that have remained in place since 2022. The decision, reaffirmed by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and reported by Ukrainska Pravda citing The Times, highlights a division between international sports governing bodies regarding the reintegration of competitors from Belarus and Russia.
The global track and field governing body insists that its exclusion of Belarusian and Russian athletes, officials, and support personnel will remain in place until tangible progress is achieved in peace negotiations surrounding the war in Ukraine. This stance directly countermands the guidance issued by the International Olympic Committee on May 7, 2026, which urged sports federations to remove restrictions preventing Belarusian representatives from participating under their nation’s flag in international competitions.
While disciplines like aquatic sports, judo, sambo, taekwondo, football, futsal, and beach soccer have permitted Belarusian athletes to compete under national symbols, track and field leadership continues to enforce an uncompromising position.
World Athletics Maintains Ban Until Peace Progress
World Athletics first implemented strict sanctions against Belarus and Russia in March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine. According to reporting from Ukrainska Pravda, Sebastian Coe emphasized that the organization’s council remains united in standing behind the original decision, which was subsequently revisited and upheld in 2023 and 2025.
“As a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, World Athletics sanctions implemented in March 2022 excluding Belarusian and Russian athletes, officials and supporting personnel from competition remain in place,” Coe stated, as noted by Ukrainska Pravda.
Coe added that any future return of representatives from these nations depends entirely on verifiable movement toward peace talks. “Our Council has made a clear decision that when there is tangible movement towards peace negotiations it can begin to review its decisions. We all hope this will be soon, but until that happens the Council continues to be united in standing behind the decision it made in March 2022 and revisited in 2023 and 2025,” Coe said, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
IOC Guidelines Contrast With Track and Field Rules
The friction intensified after the International Olympic Committee released its May 7 recommendation advising international sports federations to lift restrictions on Belarusian participants.
However, the application of IOC recommendations varies across different sporting federations. While several combat and team sports allow Belarusian competitors to perform under their national flag, other sports allow them to compete under a neutral status. In response to the IOC’s push for easing restrictions, the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine issued a formal protest, demanding that all existing sanctions remain in full force.
Readers and sports enthusiasts seeking further updates can monitor official announcements directly through the World Athletics official website or review the broader Olympic framework via the International Olympic Committee portal.
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